Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-03-01

MllzXSzHEZM intervals during the
E1fIl2bI$H $50 %f>- balance of the night
"iNWfHIYf/ Mrs. Druse would
'fHTHs jump up and nerv-
RoxALANA DRUSE. ously resume her
writing. She wrote letters to her friends
and appeared to find relief in the occupation.
Some flowers accompanying a letter from
her daughter, who is confined in the SYRIA
cuse penitentiarv for life, which were
brought TO her Sunday night, seemed to af-
feet her deeply She wrote touching note
to her in reply. AT times she wept quietly,
particularly when writing to Mary
Druse Her bearing, however, as whole
was resolute, and her resignation to the in
evitable appeared to increase as the night
wore on. Her fear of approaching death
was, nevertheless, made apparent by occa-
sional EXPLANATIONS of despair At times
during the night the watchers thought the
unfortunate woman had found relief in sleep,
but they were generally mistaken, and thus
the night wore on and the miserable woman
at break of day was still making a vain eff
fort to obtain little rest At last, finding
it impossible to sleep, she arose, bathed her
face, and began making preparations for the
ordeal through which she was soon to pass.
Within the Jail preparations for the hang
ing had been fully completed and everything
possible had been done toward successful
contamination of tho decree of the law
There were very few persons in town when
the day broke, but at an early hour teams,
drawing all sorts of convey anceS, began COM
ing in, notwithstanding the bad condition of
the roads and low thermometer The people
for the most part, especially tina women,
seemed to deeply sympathlze with the CON
demned woman.
After dressing herself in most careful
manner, putting on black cashmere dress,
the nlurderess sat down TO breakfast hut
could not eat any Of the food. She was
then joined by the Rev. DE-. Powell her spirit
ual adviser, who prayed with her, and in
every way tried to comfort her. He seemed
to have great influence over her, and at
times she seemed much complset Several
hymns We're sung which she joined with ad
parent fervor an her voice could be heard
strong and clear The morning was spent
in praying, writing and singing, with now
and then hysterlcgi PERIODS GA the part of
the condemned.
At about II I5a a. IA .he jurors, deputies and
other persons appointed TO witness the exc
cution We're led ups airs to the cell of the
condemned woman by Deputy Sheriff Man.
| Mon The Rev Sir Powell, H. D. Luce
Mrs. Druse's counsel, AMI Superintendent
| Terry, of the Uuoniasa penitentiary, were
also present The death warrant was Rad
| to Mrs. Druse in h-r cell by Sheriff Cook.
| DIR. Suffer, who worked up the medical legal
| evidence against Mrs Druse. then entered the
| cell and took her pulse, which was beating
/ at 80, having come down from 100 in forty
| minutes
| Mrs. Druse then broke down almost com
| pletely, and it was feared that she would
| have TO be carried to the gallows. She, how
ever, after having received some encourage
ment from Dr. Powell, recovered her COM
| posture, and the procession to the scaffold
| was formed Sheriff Cook led the way, fol.
| lowed by the prisoner, leaning heavily on the
| arm of Rev. DR. Powell Her face was
| greatly flushed but NJ tears were shed. al
| though an expression of utter hopeless ness
and resignation-cven despair-was plainly
| visible. Upon reaching the fatal spot, Mrs
Druse stepped to the middle of the board
platform, built upon the ground, and knelt
while DIR. Powell offered up prayer, lasting
about two minutes, Happening to cast her
eyes upward, she caught SIGHT of the dangling
| nbpSS3 WHICH S4lt iittil Aipy hptANCN
conclusive tremor shook her slight frame
She also sobbed gently at Intervals
At the end of tbs pr yer both prisoner and
clergy man arose, when Or. Powell, graSping
her hand, babe her goodbye and stepped
outside of the enclosure, so as not to wit
ness she hanging. Previous to this, how
ever, Mrs. Druse leaned over and
whispered to Mr.. Powell u request that h,
thank her friends who had labored so long
and faithfully IN her behalf. Mrs. Druse
still held in her hand the bouquet which bel
daughter had sent her. This she gave to thu
doctor. The executioner then stepped for
ward and pinioned her arms aud legs to
gether. The moose was adjusted and tn,
black cap drawn down over her face
At this point the prisoner again showet
signs OF collapse, and began to scream ant
shrek at the top Of her voice in a hysterica
manner, but the drop of the 2lS pound.
weight choked her cries in her throat. ant
the body of the murdcrcSs, whose awful
crime has shocked the entire country, wa
sent flying upward ab11t four feet, shootin,
forward to the right and settling back T.
i. within a foot and a hall of the platform.
The drop fell at II IS life was pronounceC
J extinct at 1908, and tine body was lowere,
to the stretcber at RIA according to til
watch of the representative of the Unite(
| Press. A neat rosewood coffin was brough
| in. When tine black cap was drawn back
was found that death has resulted from as
phyxia The neck and lower portions of tn
| face were much diScoored and the rop
marks were plainly visible. The moose hat
cut bunch of flowers and some lace she ha
worn at her neck and forced them into th
flesh. The body was at once put into tn
coffin and turned over to DR.. Powell
STORY OF THE CRIME.
The Druse ia mily consisted of Mr.. William
Druse, farmer of moderate means, hi
wife Roxalana, her daughter, a son name
George, and nephew named Frank Gate:
Mr.. and Mrs, Druse had not roomed togethe
for ten years, and their married life for tina
time had been very unhappy, Dec. ls Drus
) asked the boy Gates to get up and build til
fire, which he did, Mrs. Drnse and he
daughter arising at the same time. Afte
| breakfast Mrs. Druse sent George, her soi
j out of the house, and then calling the nephe
: handed him a revolver aud told him to shoe
Druss or she would shoot him. The DO
l then fired at Druse, and the woman snatch
ing the pistol from him, fired at her husban
until it was empty. She then took an a
and pounded him over the head, afterwar
decapitating tue body. Tae boy aud Georg
> Druse were then compelled to build larg
fire in both stoves and were sci Gu watch G
, the windows while toe body was bein
, burned. Tho flesh, after being boiled an
! burned off the bones, was given to the hog
The boy stated that the next morning all
saw of Druse's body was large bone an
even that was eventually placed in the stow